I Never Said Thank You For That
by stepherz8907
Summary: SusanCaspian. The promised companion piece to I Never Wanted To, When she left, he had no idea how much pain would be left behind. But that wasn't what worried him, he knew that he'd be fine, Susan however, well he was afraid for her. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I may have been born in England, but I _sadly_ own no part of this wonderful world. I just play in it. :)

Author's Note: Well as promised here's the Companion piece to _**I never wanted to . . .**_ It's in Caspian's Point of View (for now :)) and should end up being a few chapters in length. It's also partially inspired by a song, more specifically _Hear You Me_ by Jimmy Eat World. Enjoy :), this one however has less blatant references and is more like a great accompaniment to the piece. My timeline is probably a little off, so please tell me if its so off that my story doesn't work. Reviews are love :), and don't forget I still need a beta and some constructive criticism.

_I never said thank you . . ._

_'thought I might get one more chance._

Standing on a balcony overlooking an ocean stood a man. He had long dark hair, and was staring into the heavens. The sun had set half an hour ago, and the stars were beginning to pop out. If one could see those stars it would take your breath away, but he didn't notice. His slumped shoulders and overly bright eyes spoke of defeat, not the King he was. King Caspian X. He'd been ruling for nigh on 3 years. It had been a fairly easy road, minus the one getting him to the throne that is, and he had much to be happy about. Yet, if you looked closely when his guard wasn't up, on nights like this one, one could see the pain in his eyes. The pain he worked hard to let no one see, no one but the moon and the stars.

He looked around as if to see if he was really alone and then softly asked to the stars, "Aslan? Why couldn't you let her stay?"

As if expecting no answer, he shook the hair out of his eyes, wiped away a stray tear and knelt at the precipice of the balcony, while simultaneously clasping his hands and bowing his head.

_I know that I should be grateful to have met her, should have cherished the time I had, should have spoken sooner, should have thanked her, now I can't, I wasted the time that was given. She deserved more than the short stick that was given to her, and instead of doing something about it, instead of thanking her for all that she did, all that she said, instead of telling her how much that last night in the garden meant, I let her go. I know that I'm asking for the impossible but Aslan, please give her some hope, don't let her forget about Narnia. She told me how afraid she was that you wouldn't be there when she got back, please don't forsake her, I ask for nothing in return, at least I have her horn and bow she has nothing to remember me by and I don't want her to be afraid of tomorrow because she can't bear to remember yesterday._

Standing up he took one last longing glance at the moon and then sighed. With a slight wince he took a deep breath and pulled Susan's horn off of his belt, staring at it as if mesmerized he remembered when standing up didn't make him short of breath.

_It was soon after Caspian's first meeting with Aslan when Susan noticed how he was favoring his right side and not standing perfectly straight. When he began walking away from the rest of the group, Susan, naturally worried, told Lucy that she'd be back and followed him. After a short five minutes he stopped at the edge of the river and sat on a rock wincing the whole time._

"_Caspian? What happened?"_

"_Nothing, my Queen I'll be fine." He then tried to shrug his shoulders and wave telling her with his eyes that 'all is well' when a painful groan passed his lips._

_Susan, naturally horrified, began to think the worst, and walked toward him slowly and responded, "I don't believe you, this isn't the time to be hard headed, and denying never undid anything."_

_This accompanied with a withering glare caused Caspian to chuckle and then respond with, "Fine, Queen Susan, you win, but I really don't know, it could have happened when I fell, but I haven't had the time to check." Dropping his voice so that it was barely discernable from the waves lapping on the shore, he added "With everything that's happened, all those that were hurt, I didn't want to bother anyone."_

"_Well that's just rubbish Caspian, and please, haven't we known each other long enough for you to call me by my first name?" Giving him a winning smile, she continued. "Now, stop being so noble and take off your armor so I can see what happened."_

"_Yes I suppose so, Susan."_

_Slowly, he removed the outer layers of his armor and then his under-shirt from his left side. Eliciting a gasp from Susan he feared how bad it looked and then decided to chance a glance. Covering his entire left side and part of his back was a bright purple bruise with a deep tear along his bottom rib._

_Starting to cry, Susan hurried the rest of the way to him and placed her small palm on his cheek while simultaneously grabbing his hand and whispered, "Oh, Caspian, why didn't you say something, you probably have a broken rib."_

_Wiping a stray tear off of her face with his spare hand he added, "It's not that bad."_

_Breathing deeply as if to remember that she couldn't let herself get to attached, she let go of his face and hand and backed up to reply, "Caspian, it's horrible, stay here, I'll be right back with some bandages and something for the sting."_

_While Susan walked away Caspian, felt the spot on his cheek where her hand had been sighed and added in a hushed undertone, "Okay so it is that bad."_

_Looking to his belt he noticed her horn and chuckled, and then promptly started to cough and grasp the rock. Susan of course came back exactly as his eyes started to tear up, arms overflowing with an assortment of healing remedies, bandages, and odds and ends in an overflowing wooden bowl. Breathlessly she ran the rest away to him._

"_Caspian! Here, take this water, and then try to hold your hands above your head, It'll pass, I promise." Placing her things down she handed him the canteen and added, "I'm sorry I couldn't find Lucy's cordial, but you should be fine without it, as long as there isn't any serious problems with that rib. Now I'm going to fill up this bowl with some water from the river, if you need me just call for me. Okay?"_

_Waiting for him to give a nod she began to walk towards the river. She couldn't help but begin crying in earnest, but while she fetched the water, he thankfully stopped coughing, and wheezed out a simple and hoarse, "Thank You, Susan."_

"NO, stop Caspian, she's gone, she can't come back."

With a defeated slump of his shoulders he took one last look at the horn on his belt and then walked back into the restored Cair Paravel, and went to sleep. He may have stopped the rogue memory for the moment but as soon as he fell asleep this particular memory wouldn't be silenced.

A/N: Well folks, here it is :) I know you want to slap me for stopping here, but I promise, the next chapter has already been started. Please review, they make me happy :), and if you want to beta? You know what to do :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I may have been born in England, but I regrettably own no part of this wonderful world. So I'll settle for playing in it. :)

Author's Note: Well here's Chapter Two, get excited because the plot thickens, laughs. Still has parts of _Hear You Me_ by Jimmy Eat World in it, and don't forget, comments love :)

_I never said thank you for that.  
Now I'll never have a chance._

A soft "Thank You, Susan," and the whispering of the wind cut through the silence in King Caspian X's quarters. The young King had drifted off immediately, a small smile replacing the grimace from minutes before, he was dreaming, remembering. It seemed as if the rogue memory was inching its way through his psyche, tearing down the walls he carefully erected around his heart.

_Turning at the whisper, Susan could only reply, with fear laced in her eyes, "Don't thank me."_

_Caspian could only stare, thinking the whole time, 'why? It doesn't make any sense.'_

"_Susan?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Never mind."_

_Walking towards him Susan could only hope that he would drop it, and thankfully he said nothing more about it. Pulling her sleeves up, Susan then began to soak the rags in the water and look up at Caspian with a question in her eyes, "Caspian?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_For what?"_

"_How much this is going to hurt."_

_With a deep breath Susan grabbed a rag rung it out and slowly began to clean up the area around the wound, and got a new rag. With a determined look on her face, she placed it on top of the wound, carefully she reached for his face, _

"_Now I'm sure this is going to sting, so grab onto the rock, and take as deep a breath as possible."_

_Giving her a small nod, Caspian tried to think of anything other than the wound and grabbed onto the rock. Wincing at her first gentle massage of the area, he looked into her eyes and saw something that wasn't there before, something new, and terrifying._

_Shaking her head, Susan began to speak, "You know, once I got injured right around here, we were on a picnic, just Lucy, Ed, Peter, and I. I decided to wander off while they took a swim and fell flat on my face. Obviously not paying any attention to where I was going," she grinned, and grabbed a new cloth, "Cut up my whole right leg, the whole time, I kept thinking 'what am I going to do?' Then I remembered something Mrs. Beaver told Lucy and I after Father Christmas brought us our presents, 'Remember, if you get hurt and can't find your cordial, then dress the wound in the water of the Great River, it'll fix you up just fine.' So obviously I got up and cleaned it in the river, funny thing is, I think it did heal it, although, my scratches were smaller, I suspect that it should at least keep your cut from getting infected. I guess we'll find out then, huh?"_

_Nodding, Caspian could only hope that she had finished, after five minutes, she asked him to hold a clean cloth over it and began to wrap him._

"_I'm afraid that I don't have anything to get the sting out, but hopefully this will work until we can find Lucy."_

"_I'll be fine Susan, Than—"_

"_Don't finish that, it was nothing, besides I have something to tell you anyways."_

_Standing up, Caspian grasped her hands and whispered, "What?"_

_As if steeling herself for a battle, Susan looked into his eyes, and began to speak, softly, but without any hesitation._

"_Thank you for following Lucy and I into the woods." Tearing up she added, "If you wouldn't have, I don't know what would of happened, and . . ."_

_She then began shaking so horribly that she couldn't finish, so Caspian did the only thing he could think of, he pulled Susan into a hug and began to stroke her hair, and whisper words of comfort._

_When she calmed down he then kissed her on the top of her head and added, "It was nothing, Susan. You were never going to get hurt, and neither was Lucy, besides, do you really think I'd let you go by yourselves without your horn? Now, here," Caspian then grabbed the last clean towel dipped it into the water, and cleaned up the remnants of the tears left on her porcelain skin, once he finished he then added with a smile, "Now come, they're probably looking for us, show me your best smile."_

_Looking up at him Susan tried to, but all that she could do was silently shake and whisper 'I'm sorry' while more tears came down her face._

_Taking her face in his hands, Caspian began wiping away each tear, looked into her eyes and replied, "There is nothing to be sorry for, you have every right to be scared, and even more to cry, you've been so busy taking care of everyone else, that you forgot about you. But it'll be fine, you're fine now," sitting back down on the rock he gathered her into his arms, and began to rock her, carefully avoiding any collisions with his injured rib, and then added, "I'll never let anything happen to you, Susan, I love you."_

_Susan could only respond by looking him in the eye, kissing his cheek, and burying her face in the crook of his neck. She didn't know why but for the first time in her life, she knew he was telling the truth, that he wasn't going to leave, and that she had finally found her home._

Caspian woke with a start, and then swiftly grabbed a quill and parchment and quickly walked down the hallway.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm evil. But I swear this is the only spot I could end it on. I think it'll have maybe two chapters left, so it should be complete by Saturday. Remember reviews are my best friends :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I may have been born in England, but I regrettably own no part of this wonderful world. So I'll settle for playing in it. :)

Author's Note: Whoo-Hoo! We made it to Chapter 3! I'm so excited, because this has to be my favorite chapter so far, and absolutely the hardest to write. Secrets come out in this chapter, and you find out a little more about the White Rose Garden from _I never meant too . . ._ There should be another chapter after this, and if need be I'll add an epilogue chapter after that as well. And a bigggg, thank you to my beta **drumlinechick**, she made this chapter so much better, :). Happy Reading, and remember reviews are love :)

_What would you think of me now?  
So lucky, so strong, so proud.  
I never said thank you for that.  
Now I'll never have a chance._

Caspian didn't slow down; he just kept walking as fast as his legs would allow him. Not to wipe away the tears that clung to his cheeks and lashes, not to catch his breath, and definitely not because of the pain in his side.

_I can't stay in this castle.. I have to get out. I'm being ridiculous, she can't get back, it's been three years . . . shit, I should be over it, I shouldn't let one memory break me down._

Not five minutes later he was gazing upon a familiar sight - a place he could get to in his sleep – known as the Garden of the White Roses. This was the last place Susan went with him. Sitting on the stone bench in the middle of the garden, Caspian carefully plucked a rose off of the nearest bush and started to cry. Tears streamed down his tanned face as his chest heaved in silent sobs - the same way Susan cried in his arms that day. Suddenly, as if in a trance, he looked to the sky and, for the first time in three years, let his mind wander to that night. The night that he finally realized how much he was going to lose.

_Once on the bench, Caspian could only hold her; he had no words to make her feel better, no magic solution, and no way to stop his own tears, let alone hers. Silently they held onto each other like the physical connection was vital to their survival, and in some ways it was. In the short time they'd come to know each other, they became each other's lifelines; the other's presence had become like a candle lighting up the darkness of their lives._

_Susan looked into Caspian's eyes and couldn't help but gasp._

"_Caspian, don't look like that. It's not as if I'll never see you again. Even if we never meet here in Narnia, that doesn't mean that I won't see you," she said, though she didn't believe it herself. She felt horrible lying to him, but the sadness that reflected in his eyes was too much for her. She couldn't bear to see him in such pain. She reached a hand up and wiped away every tear before continuing._

"_So . . . How'd you find this garden, Caspian? It's . . . wonderful."_

_She had no way of knowing that that was the worst thing she could've said. It was like opening Pandora's Box. Nevertheless, he answered._

_With a deep breath, he looked to the sky and began to answer. "You remember that I said I found it after my father's death?" Receiving a nod, he continued, "Well, when he died, I was very young. I didn't understand the concept of death, and I didn't understand why they were putting my father into the ground. I was overwhelmed, and ran away from the funeral – I knew I couldn't stand to stay there another minute. I ran blindly, not really caring where I ended up – anywhere was better than where I'd just been. Once I stopped running, I saw this bench. Up until this moment, I was told that it wasn't proper for a Telmarine boy to cry, so I tried so hard to think happy thoughts. Needless to say, it didn't work. But I found something when I got here, something that I never even thought to look for. I found . . ."_

"_What did you find Caspian?"_

_Looking up again, as if he couldn't bear to tell her, he picked her up and set her to his right. He then stood up and walked towards the edge of the garden. Susan got up and tried to catch up, but by the time she arrived he was kneeling in front of a small vase that stood on top of a nameplate. The stone was obviously very old, and the weather had faded the lettering on it to the point where it was illegible. However, by the way Caspian reacted, she knew that whatever it said or stood for, it was important – it seemed to be breaking Caspian's heart just looking at it. She kneeled next to him and tried to catch his eye, but even though she could see him looking at her, she knew he wasn't seeing her. Susan grabbed his hand, trying to get him to look at her, but it was as if he'd lost something. She got the impression that he had never spoken about this, and that, along with the look on his face, made her more afraid than she could ever remember being._

"_Caspian, look at me . . . What happened? You know that you can tell me anything. Even if you aren't ready, that's fine . . . but . . . please . . . just look at me."_

_Slowly he turned to look at her and whispered "I'm sorry." He then walked back towards the bench. Genuinely worried, Susan stopped him and pleaded with him to say something, anything._

_Softly, he whispered, "This was my Mother's garden, Susan. I kept coming back here, year after year, because this is the only thing I have left of hers . . . I've lost my whole family, and now you're leaving, and . . ."_

_Placing her finger on his lips, Susan replied, "Don't you say that. Family isn't just the blood that runs through you - it's more than that. Don't you see that? Just because Peter, Ed, Lucy and I are leaving doesn't mean that you're going to be alone. Eventually, you'll make your own family. Really. I promise you'll be fine. You're selfless . . . you're going to make a great King. Stop worrying . . . besides, don't you want to show me the garden?"_

_With a smile, Caspian could only answer with a simple, "Of course."_

_Soon after, they began to walk around the moonlit garden and talk about their dreams, hopes, fears, and plans for the future. Far into the night they left their oasis, and walked back towards Susan's room._

"_Thank you, Susan."_

"_No, Caspian, thank you."_

_With that they dropped hands, hugged and went to bed, not knowing that this was the last time that they would ever spend alone together._

Looking at the rose in his hand, Caspian felt a gentle breeze touch his cheek and heard a faint whisper in the air, _Oh, Aslan, please, let him be happy, and let him know, that I never wanted to say goodbye_. He knew that voice anywhere, _Susan._ Looking around the garden as if she would appear, he finally sighed when she didn't. He pulled out a sheet of parchment and began to write.

_**Susan,**_

_**When I close my eyes, I can still see you the way you looked that morning . . . so beautiful, and so sad. Every minute of every day, I see you in the things I do. I've tried my hardest to do as you asked and live each day as if I'd see you one day, and for the most part, I have. But I'm so afraid that you are slowly breaking, and I hope that you aren't because you have so much life and love left in you, I don't want you to waste it because you couldn't stay here. I keep remembering that night in the garden. It fills me with hope, because I know that when this life is over, we WILL meet again. I want you **_

_**to know that I will never forget you, and that you are always going to be in my heart. Don't dwell on what might have been- Lucy, Edmund, and Peter still need you to be whole. You'll never become just a memory to me, and you'll always be in my dreams.**_

_**- Caspian.**_

He then rolled up the letter and walked towards the nearest torch, lit the corner on fire, and placed it on the stone plaque that his mother's vase sat on. Mesmerized, he watched the smoke curl up into the heavens.

Whispering, he added, "Aslan? Please help her, I can feel her sadness, her helplessness, I fear that she's breaking. Please, save her." As he whispered into the wind he heard a faint crackle, like the beginnings of a flame, and then . . .

A/N: I know, I'm a mean, mean person for stopping it here, and for making Caspian so upset, but I promise, there is a reason :). Don't forget, reviews make me super happy. :)

Beta's Note: Yes, please review I'd like to know if I missed anything or if I could've changed the wording on something to make it sound better or make the story flow better.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I may have been born in England, but I regrettably own no part of this wonderful world. So I'll settle for playing in it. :)

Author's Note: Author's Note: Well here it is, it's unbetad, but when I get back at the end of the summer, I'll post the beta'd version. Oh and one final thing, this chapter will be split in point of view, starting with Susan and then alternating between Caspian and Susan, and obviously there are the lyrics to Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World at the beginning, :).

_I never said thank you for that  
Now I'll never have a chance  
And if you were with me tonight  
I'd sing to you just one more time  
A song for a heart so big  
God wouldn't let it live._

--

Susan couldn't stop staring at the place where the smoke had disappeared. It was odd to be feeling closure, not fear. It was if the magic of that night in the Garden of the White Roses had reappeared in her family's small garden. Quickly and silently Susan walked back into the kitchen, placed her things on the table, and carefully picked up her mother's stone vase. A few minutes later she was standing in front of the empty pond. Thoughtfully she chose a white rose, and placed it inside the vase.

_Now where are the ashes?_ _That's odd, there hasn't been any wind all night, where could they have gone?_

She then began to feel a small breeze, but it was unlike any she had felt before, it moved nothing, and yet, caressed her face in an almost reverent way. Then she heard it, a whisper, barely discernable, yet it resonated to her very core.

_Aslan? Please help her, I can feel her sadness, her helplessness, I fear that she's breaking. Please, save her._

Then she gasped, and began to look around, she knew that voice, she had heard it every moment for the last two months, _Caspian_.

--

Caspian then saw something that could only be classified as impossible. It looked as if a letter was reverse burning, followed by another gentle breeze caressing his face, another faint whisper.

_I've got a letter, but no address to send it to. Goodbye my love. I promise, I'll never forget you._

With a bewildered expression Caspian muttered, "Susan? Where are you? I know you're here, I can hear you."

With the first true smile in three years he looked all around him, but all he saw were roses, white roses.

Caspian's defeated expression quickly replaced his euphoria, and again he whispered, "What are you doing? She isn't here, she can't be here, stop doing this to yourself, you are being redic-"

But Caspian never finished that sentence, placed where the ashes of his letter should have been was a simple piece of paper, folded in thirds, with his _Name_ on it.

--

After frantically searching Susan realized that Caspian hadn't come to her, she was only imagining again.

_But it sounded just like him, I couldn't have imagined it, I know it's impossible but-_

Finding herself in front of the pond again, she noticed something in the bottom of it, placed on top of where the ashes of her letter should have been was a rolled up piece of parchment.

With shaking hands she picked it up, rolled it out and began to read aloud:

_**Susan,**_

_**When I close my eyes, I can still see you the way you looked that morning . . . so beautiful, and so sad. Every minute of every day, I **_

_**see you in the things I do. I've tried my hardest to do as you asked and live each day as if I'd see you one day, and for the most part, I have. But I'm so afraid that you are slowly breaking, and I hope that you aren't because you have so much life and love left in you, I don't want you to waste it because you couldn't stay here. I keep remembering that night in the garden. It fills me with hope, because I know that when this life is over, we WILL meet again. I want you to know that I will never forget you, and that you are always going to be in my heart. Don't dwell on what might have been- Lucy, Edmund, and Peter still need you to be whole. You'll never become just a memory to me, and you'll always be in my dreams.**_

_**- Caspian.**_

--

With an erratically beating heart and quivering hands, Caspian picked up the letter, _his letter_. Unfolding it slowly he began to read:

_**Caspian,**__**knowing**__** fearing that you've already died, that I lost the one thing that mattered as much as my family is killing me slowly. I keep looking to the stars and wondering where you are, keep seeing my mother's rose bush and remembering the last night we spent together. I know that seeing me cry broke your heart, I could see it in your eyes. But at least we can always remember that few hours of secrets, of hopes and dreams that we couldn't tell a soul. I'm sure that you're doing great as King, that your father is proud. It hurts to remember how vulnerable you were.**_ _**ever received.**_ _**Maybe one day I'll be able to look back at that night in the garden and not feel empty. But until then, I'll see you in my dreams.**_

I'm sorry that we didn't have the time we needed, I'd give anything to hear you say my name again, but I can't keep living in the past, haunted by your spirit every day and night. Lucy, Edmund, and Peter are so worried about me, I haven't slept in weeks, I hope you're fairing better. I'm sorry for rambling, but

Know that I will never forget you, you gave me the most precious gift I've

- Susan.

--

With a startled gasp Susan began to cry, but for the first time in a month, they were tears of joy. Looking up to the waiting moon she did the only thing that came to mind. She picked up the rose from the vase, clasped it between her hands, knelt and began to pray in a whisper that resembled the sound of the gentle breeze that played with her curls.

"Aslan, you may have just saved me, thank you, and tell Caspian, tell him that I'll be fine now, I'll be fine."

Smiling the first genuine smile since her return, Susan picked up the letter, and walked back into the house.

--

"No, no, no, she, she was supposed to be happy, not-"

A familiar breeze shifted the hair away from Caspian's eyes, and a haunting voice spoke into his ear.

_Aslan, you may have just saved me, thank you, and tell Caspian, tell him that I'll be fine now, I'll be fine._

Breathing a sigh of relief, Caspian looked to the sky, and replied, "I'll be seeing you, Susan. Thank you Aslan, thank you."

Picking up the letter Caspian began to walk back to his rooms, without the fear that had plagued him, and with the hope, and the knowledge that Susan would meet him in Aslan's Country, that this wasn't the end, but a brand new beginning.

--

A/N: Well there it is, the best type of ending, one with hope, :). You didn't really think I'd end it with Caspian crying and Susan not believing did you? I hope you all enjoyed this, and please, please, please, REVIEW! I want to know how you liked the ending.

Until next time. – Stephanie.

PS: The Susan to Caspian letter came from my fic, _**I never meant to . . .**_, the Caspian to Susan letter came from Chapter 3 of this fic, and the line _I've got a letter, but no address to send it to. _doesn't belong to me, It's from the song, _I Thought I'd See Your Face Again_ by Sara Evans.


	5. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I may have been born in England, but I regrettably own no part of this wonderful world. So I'll settle for playing in it. :)

Author's Note: Because I couldn't bear ending this story with Caspian and Susan so far apart this epilogue came to be. Thank you all for the support with this story, it's unbetad, but when I get back at the end of the summer, I'll post the beta'd version. Well here it is, the end of a five day era, sadly this will be the final installment in this series. I'm leaving for work at a children's camp on Monday and won't have internet except on Saturday afternoons. But I might do a few missing moments, from this fiction and its companion I never wanted too . . ., so keep a lookout, but they will only be updated on the Saturdays that I can get to a WiFi hotspot. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it, it has been a joy to write, and thank you again to all of my reviewers. You definitely were the driving force for my ability to actually writing/update this companion piece.

_Despite her firm beliefs in Narnia, Susan decided to fool herself into believing that it was nothing more than a children's game. That all ended the moment she lost her whole family in the train crash. For years she relapsed into the despair that haunted the month after her second return from Narnia. The only thing that could bring a smile to her face was a wrinkled piece of parchment. She brought it with her everywhere, as a constant reminder of why she couldn't stop believing again and of what she lost when she decided to forsake Caspian's plea for her to not__** dwell on the might have been's, Lucy, Edmund, and Peter still need you to be whole**__. Consumed with grief she lived out her life, with a mask of happiness until one day it became too much._

"Aslan? Please, let me go to be with them, I know that they are with you, please, I've learned my lesson, I have. You gave me the proof, left me with something to remember Narnia by, and instead of appreciating it and taking care of my family, I forgot. Haven't I paid the price, I'm truly alone now, can't I just go back to my family?"

With those simple words, twenty-six year old Susan Pevensie waited for a sign in her parents' backyard. After five minutes, she felt a breeze that hadn't touched her cheek for many years and heard a small voice, _her_ voice, "_Don't you say that. Family isn't just the blood that runs through you - it's more than that. Don't you see that? Just because Peter, Ed, Lucy and I are leaving doesn't mean that you're going to be alone._"

Looking into her mother's rose bush, Susan picked up a white rose. This rose seemed to glow from within. Knowing what it must mean she held it between her hands and whispered, "Thank you, Aslan."

--

Sitting on a stone bench very similar to his mother's, Caspian looked to the sky, silently waiting for a sign. It seemed as if he'd been in Aslan's Country for an eternity, but something was wrong. Where was Susan? So he asked Lucy what happened to her, all she could say was that Susan didn't believe. When he confronted Aslan the only answer he received was that Susan had to remember first, and then, she would come back.

So instead of spending his time in Aslan's Country in quiet peace and happiness, he waited on a stone bench, with a white rose.

"Is it time?" Caspian whispered to the sky. Soon the white rose began to glow, and with a smile he placed it in front of him, and waited.

--

Looking around Susan was confused, "Where am I?"

"You're home, Su, you're home."

Turning around she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

_Caspian, but no, that's impossible. Wait, where am I?_

"Susan, this is no dream, I'm really here, and so are you. You've made it to Aslan's Country."

Without a seconds hesitation she ran into his outstretched arms. Laughing Caspian began to spin her around in circles. When he placed her on the ground again he held her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Where were you Susan? I've been waiting for you for so long."

"I got lost Caspian, but I'm back now, and I'm never leaving again."

With that she stood on the tips of her toes, snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him. For the first time since she left Narnia, she was whole again.

A/N: Well here it is, the end of an era, the story is over, but I'll try to do a few one-shot missing moments when I get back at the end of the summer. Leave some love, in the form of reviews :)


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